Thoughts training a ‘1st pony’

[Rachel500]

I’m not sure you can even train a first pony! ? but , what I wanted to know is has anyone been successful in bringing on their own for their child? Basically I’ve been offered a 2 year old filly ( approx 12.2hh atm) . I am experienced in backing and breaking ( although not for several years!) My daughter is 2 currently, so a good few years of training before she’s ready to ride. What’s your thoughts? Am I wasting my time? Thank you!

 

[planete]

Training is important but so is the pony's temperament. I have had shetlands you could not trust with an adult, never mind a child. I was lucky with our section A. I broke him to drive before he was ridden and his obedience to my voice commands from a distance was invaluable once he had a small rider on board. He ended up being loaned to several pony club riders when my son outgrew him. He saw a lot of the world before being let loose with a child though and became unflappable with never a nasty thought in his head.

 

[Rachel500]

I agree! I’ve met this girl a few times.. she’s apparently I handled but she actually quite tame and gently with a kind eye. I think a year or two of handling and taking will do wonders ? Thanks for you reply, it sounds promising ?

 

[Rachel500]

I agree! I’ve met this girl a few times.. she’s apparently I handled but she actually quite tame and gently with a kind eye. I think a year or two of handling and taking will do wonders ? Thanks for you reply, it sounds promising ?

Sorry my typing and autocorrect is horrendous! ??

 

[Wishfilly]

I think for Lead Rein, it's doable, as you'll always have an adult with the pony/nearby and you can train them to respond to you and essentially desensitise them to things on their back. I would look at the way of going too- you don't want something super bouncy for a young rider!

For first ridden, it's a lot harder- I think to some extent you are a bit reliant on the natural temperament of the pony, some will unfortunately naturally take advantage, or just get that bit too wizzy for young riders! I think it takes a lot of time to make a really solid first ridden, so often they are older, as well.

At 12.2, and probably going to get slightly bigger, she will be big enough to get an older child to back/ride away, so that can be a bonus, and she'd hopefully last your daughter for a while. It might be that if she doesn't quite manage the first ridden bit, but is a good LR, then you could do a swap for a period of time, or get a FR on loan, and then she'd also work as a second pony?

 

[nagblagger]

I would go for it if the temperament is right. What have you got to lose and it might be fun. But i would be aiming for just bringing a youngster on and not with the end goal of first ridden, less pressure and if she turns out to be a quiet first ridden then it's a bonus.
Enjoy the experience and, of course the mandatory pics.

 

[Rachel500]

I think for Lead Rein, it's doable, as you'll always have an adult with the pony/nearby and you can train them to respond to you and essentially desensitise them to things on their back. I would look at the way of going too- you don't want something super bouncy for a young rider!

For first ridden, it's a lot harder- I think to some extent you are a bit reliant on the natural temperament of the pony, some will unfortunately naturally take advantage, or just get that bit too wizzy for young riders! I think it takes a lot of time to make a really solid first ridden, so often they are older, as well.

At 12.2, and probably going to get slightly bigger, she will be big enough to get an older child to back/ride away, so that can be a bonus, and she'd hopefully last your daughter for a while. It might be that if she doesn't quite manage the first ridden bit, but is a good LR, then you could do a swap for a period of time, or get a FR on loan, and then she'd also work as a second pony?

Yes! I agree, I think lead rein and then second pony and bonus if I can ride her too. A loan pony for inbetween is a good idea m, thank you ?

 

[Rachel500]

I would go for it if the temperament is right. What have you got to lose and it might be fun. But i would be aiming for just bringing a youngster on and not with the end goal of first ridden, less pressure and if she turns out to be a quiet first ridden then it's a bonus.
Enjoy the experience and, of course the mandatory pics.

Yes, that’s a good way of looking at it ?

 

[maya2008]

We took on a feral 11hh pony last year. She was pregnant and not at all keen on humans. I bought her unseen, from a photo, because she had a sweet face. For the first few months she bit, kicked and we couldn’t get near her. At one point I actually thought I had made a mistake - but once the foal was weaned she swiftly turned into the pony I had seen in the picture. She is now a sweet, confidence-giving little mare who looks after my 7 year old daughter off the lead.

I did the pre-backing work much more thoroughly than I would for myself, because she needed to be able to make decisions for herself and be confident in her surroundings, not take confidence from her rider. So we went for long walks in traffic, down busy roads, out and about to see the world for weeks and weeks. We also long-reined a LOT so she would stop from the slightest pressure or voice command and could do it all with the saddle on too. I made a point of rewarding her for halting from the very beginning, with polos at first, then wither scratches. After she was totally relaxed about everything in walk and trot, we picked my youngest child up and let her wave her hands around over the pony’s back, then lean over and eventually sit (with dad holding on tight so if the pony left he would just be left holding the child safely). Once that was fine we did a few steps forwards, and after that I used to just randomly pop her on when we were out hacking for a little bit, then off again. The next stage was building fitness so I led her from the other ponies (again, for weeks) and built up her exposure to the exact tracks she would take my daughter on. Once a week or so we went into the school for 5 minutes of steering and stopping off-lead.

Finally she decided she had had enough and wanted a rider full-time, so she kept reversing back out of my hand and glaring at me one day out on a ride. Half an hour from home, I gave in, grabbed the pad saddle off my son’s pony, popped it on her and on he got. He rode home, off the lead, in walk and trot, absolutely no issues at all. She strutted along happily, pleased to be a big girl and to have a rider.

I would say though that we were helped massively by the fact that the mare I ride is feral pony’s very best friend. The only place she ever runs in the field if worried is to my mare, so I always pop my daughter behind me out hacking and tell her to stay close. That way, she always has a buddy in horse form to show her how to behave and to give her confidence in the world. She only goes in front of us with my son on board, as he is older and quite able to give her confidence if needed.

On a cautious note though, my mare is a 12.2hh New Forest who loves children on the ground but cannot stand them on her back. She was backed by a child but just prefers adults, so she has become mine!

 

[Rachel500]

We took on a feral 11hh pony last year. She was pregnant and not at all keen on humans. I bought her unseen, from a photo, because she had a sweet face. For the first few months she bit, kicked and we couldn’t get near her. At one point I actually thought I had made a mistake - but once the foal was weaned she swiftly turned into the pony I had seen in the picture. She is now a sweet, confidence-giving little mare who looks after my 7 year old daughter off the lead.

I did the pre-backing work much more thoroughly than I would for myself, because she needed to be able to make decisions for herself and be confident in her surroundings, not take confidence from her rider. So we went for long walks in traffic, down busy roads, out and about to see the world for weeks and weeks. We also long-reined a LOT so she would stop from the slightest pressure or voice command and could do it all with the saddle on too. I made a point of rewarding her for halting from the very beginning, with polos at first, then wither scratches. After she was totally relaxed about everything in walk and trot, we picked my youngest child up and let her wave her hands around over the pony’s back, then lean over and eventually sit (with dad holding on tight so if the pony left he would just be left holding the child safely). Once that was fine we did a few steps forwards, and after that I used to just randomly pop her on when we were out hacking for a little bit, then off again. The next stage was building fitness so I led her from the other ponies (again, for weeks) and built up her exposure to the exact tracks she would take my daughter on. Once a week or so we went into the school for 5 minutes of steering and stopping off-lead.

Finally she decided she had had enough and wanted a rider full-time, so she kept reversing back out of my hand and glaring at me one day out on a ride. Half an hour from home, I gave in, grabbed the pad saddle off my son’s pony, popped it on her and on he got. He rode home, off the lead, in walk and trot, absolutely no issues at all. She strutted along happily, pleased to be a big girl and to have a rider.

I would say though that we were helped massively by the fact that the mare I ride is feral pony’s very best friend. The only place she ever runs in the field if worried is to my mare, so I always pop my daughter behind me out hacking and tell her to stay close. That way, she always has a buddy in horse form to show her how to behave and to give her confidence in the world. She only goes in front of us with my son on board, as he is older and quite able to give her confidence if needed.

On a cautious note though, my mare is a 12.2hh New Forest who loves children on the ground but cannot stand them on her back. She was backed by a child but just prefers adults, so she has become mine!

Brilliant! This is fab! I hope it’ll work out similar for us ?

 

[J&S]

I remember my farrier's wife breaking and riding on a pony that was destined for her small/young daughter. She was telling us that she was very careful to give extremely light aids, simulating those she felt a child might make.

 

[Rachel500]

I remember my farrier's wife breaking and riding on a pony that was destined for her small/young daughter. She was telling us that she was very careful to give extremely light aids, simulating those she felt a child might make.

That’s good advice thank you ?

 

[honetpot]

Mu daughters did most of their own pony training, with help. The pony has to be willing, and basically not a reactive temperament. With the Welsh A's, they started lead rein, with lots of walking out everywhere you could think, trips to the shop, pub, football pitch, standing outside the school, so they are exposed as much as possible to life.
When the child starts to take over its for short periods, so walk or trot to the end of the path that the pony knows. We did very little in circles because its hard for the child and the pony, and you want it idiot proof. The pony has to be conned in to thinking it only can do the right thing.
I also rode so we would hack out in a crocodile, I was the brake, so as long I could stop they did, so a canter on a narrow track was safe.
Its tempting to put an older child or adult on them, but they are stronger, their legs tend to be stronger and in a different place, so unless its something the child doesn't understand themselves, like leg aids or learning to jump.
We had a NF pony that I hacked out and my daughter did all the rest, and when you ride them you to a degree dumb down your riding, you are training a pony for a child, so you do not want it too responsive, just obedient.
It's just a shame that when the child gets older and bigger the pony is generally outgrown, although my daughters rode the NF until they were fourteen. In a perfect situation the child needs one they can learn on and one to start themselves, We ended up with more ponies than children

 

[maya2008]

Just thought - have you considered that a 12.2hh 2 year old could easily become a 13hh 6 year old? I had a 13.2hh when my son was born. Perfect pony in every way, doted on him, would never have done anything bad. It was just too far to fall though if he lost his balance so we bought a Shetland for him as lead rein. He did ride the 13.2hh for a year at age 5 and she was beyond amazing, took him off the lead cantering sedately around the countryside on his own. I knew no matter where I was, she would plod along gently and look after him. Sadly she was old and he only got to ride her for a year, but height is a consideration when you have a wobbly 3 or 4 year old child and they could fall a long way!

 

[Rachel500]

Just thought - have you considered that a 12.2hh 2 year old could easily become a 13hh 6 year old? I had a 13.2hh when my son was born. Perfect pony in every way, doted on him, would never have done anything bad. It was just too far to fall though if he lost his balance so we bought a Shetland for him as lead rein. He did ride the 13.2hh for a year at age 5 and she was beyond amazing, took him off the lead cantering sedately around the countryside on his own. I knew no matter where I was, she would plod along gently and look after him. Sadly she was old and he only got to ride her for a year, but height is a consideration when you have a wobbly 3 or 4 year old child and they could fall a long way!

Yes this is my worry. However I do have an 8 year old step daughter who is keen, so I think worst case scenario if the filly grows to big for my youngest, I’d loan a smaller pony ( if she’s interested) until she’s big enough and old enough for the new filly who should be around 6 and hopefully fairly sensible by then ?

 

[Leandy]

I’m not sure you can even train a first pony! ? but , what I wanted to know is has anyone been successful in bringing on their own for their child? Basically I’ve been offered a 2 year old filly ( approx 12.2hh atm) . I am experienced in backing and breaking ( although not for several years!) My daughter is 2 currently, so a good few years of training before she’s ready to ride. What’s your thoughts? Am I wasting my time? Thank you!

I don't think you can assume that the pony will end up suitable for the child. Hopefully it will be at some point but it may not be a first pony, or in particular a first off the lead rein pony and could well only be a second pony by which time it may be too small. If you want to give it a go then do but the best way to be sure your child has the pony they need at the time they need it is probably not to buy a two year old now. I would be keeping an eye out for a suitable golden oldie!